Abstract
We find that positively charged polypeptide: poly-L-arginine (poly(Arg)) can translocate through the negatively charged liposome membranes in Tris-HCl buffer but cannot translocate in phosphate buffer. We also investigated the translocation ability of positively charged poly(Arg) through a mechanism involving poly(Arg) - lipid interactions in a model lipid membrane system under various buffer conditions. It was concluded that the secondary structure of poly(Arg) had the dominant effect on its transportability through the membrane.
